An Adventure With Dracula
by A. Kingsleigh
Summary: Making your way around the Big Easy is a lot harder than it looks to begin with, let alone with dark forces lurking about on a quest for blood. Too bad our hapless heroes didn't think of that before they set out to find the answer to an age-old question; could a shark really beat a Dracula?
1. Chapter 1

**Good _eeee_vening, my friends. Please enter of your own free will, and leave behind some of the happiness you bring. And now that that's out of the way, who's up for a little spooky fun?  
**

**Yeah, this is something that would probably be more suitable for October. But I'm going to be very busy the month after that, if you know what I mean, so I thought I'd get it out beforehand if possible. That and I just love writing these stories. So grab your stakes and leave your sparkles at the door, guys! It's time for _An Adventure With Dracula!_**

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

* * *

"Of _course_ it would be the shark! It would just chomp right through him!"

"Yeah, except for the part where he gets on land and just harpoons the thing."

"I said in a straight fight! And besides, they can jump!"

The heads of the Barnacle Face's patrons whipped back and forth like they were watching a tennis match instead of two semi-drunk men arguing. The Pirate Captain's speech was jumping back and forth across the line between coherence and babble, and his words were slurred out alongside a melodramatic pointing of his finger and the sloshing of his drink. Bellamy sat a few seats away, one shoulder resting on the bar and his chin resting on his hand as he concentrated all his annoyance with the captain into his stare. He swatted his opponent's sentences away like flies and spat out his own as though each one was the end of the discussion. Most of the tavern-goers roared with approval at them, only to groan as the captain refused to back down, while his crew refused to let their opinion be drowned out by mere strength of numbers. None of them were sure how this had started, but they'd been going on now for who knew how long.

All except one.

Jenny flinched as Peg-leg Hastings flung an arm around her and started rambling on about taking a shark's eyeballs for his own or something equally disgusting. "Yes, yes, that's very nice," she mumbled as she wriggled out of his grasp and slipped away. There was an empty table in a corner, and she sank down at it with a sigh. It was a bit quieter over here — as quiet as it probably ever got in this place, at least. She would be quite content with leaning against the wall, closing her eyes and never, ever being noticed...**  
**

"I ended up here on my first visit, too." Jenny snapped back to reality as Emma sat down across from her, carrying two mugs and trying to look welcoming. "Brought ya this," she continued, sliding one of the mugs to to the younger woman. "I watered it down."

Raising it to her lips with trembling fingers, Jenny took a sip of the beverage. Less than a second passed before her face contorted, and she spit it back into the mug. "I'm sorry! I think...I think it's an acquired taste," she said amidst gasps.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Emma answered, pulling the mug back.

"Don't they need your help yelling over there?"

"They _never_ need help with that. It's nice to have another lady around, y'know."

"And...?"

"You've been awful quiet as of late."

"I didn't think anyone noticed."

"It sticks out more than you think."

Jenny's gaze drifted down to the scratches in the tabletop. "I've been thinking," she finally answered, running her fingers along the worn lines. "About home, mostly. Beatrice..."

"I'm sure she's fine."

"...I just can't help but wonder." A hint of regret was in the girl's voice, and she wasn't doing a very good job of covering it up.

"I'm _telling_ you," the captain continued, "it would take more than just one bullet to bring the shark down! Even if you got it right between the _eyes!_ Why, it could grow another tail if you blew that off! Or is that what happens with teeth? That is what sharks do, right...?" He was beginning to sway back and forth.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen," Bellamy said as he stood up, "is why you should never have too much grog."

_"WAIT!"_ the captain yelled as he regained his balance. "I've got an even better idea!"

"We forget this ever happened?"

"We put it to a bet! I prove that a shark would beat a Dracula, you give me half the treasure you've collected for Pirate of the Year so far."

Bellamy raised an eyebrow. "And what would I get if I won?"

"It's about time for us to be going," the Pirate With A Scarf said as he pulled the captain towards the door as quickly as he could, signaling for the others to help. "Isn't that right, sir?"

"Half my silver! You'd get half my silver! Not that you're going to, of course." Wrenching free of his first mate's grasp, the captain straightened his hat and strutted out the door with a grin plastered across his face.

The snickering began before he was even gone, and it burst out into laughter as soon as he was outside. "Saw that comin' from a mile away, I did!" "Oh, like _that's_ a big accomplishment!" "Wasn't like he'd win with all that silver, anyway."

"Captain?" Scarf asked as he hurried outside. _"Captain...!"_

* * *

"Ah, there you coves are!" the captain exclaimed when his crew caught up to him. "We've got lots to do in the morning! I want half of you grinding up some fish and half of you cleaning up that old squid tank. There's got to be a shark or two around here, don't you think?"

"Sir, you don't have your wits about you," the Pirate With A Scarf said. "Let me go back and tell them it was only a joke — "

"Don't want to lie to them, now do we? Of course we'll win. _Shark!_ First thing tomorrow!" The others stared at him with open mouths as he turned his back on them and began making his way down the dock.

The Pirate With A Scarf sighed as he followed him. "Maybe he'll forget about it..."


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

* * *

"Sighting off the port side, sir!" the Pirate With A Scarf called out, looking through his spyglass at a blue fin cutting through the water on its way past the boat. "It's moving to the stern!"

The Pirate Captain looked up from the map he was examining. "About time. Put out the bait!"

Several barrels of chum were rolled to the edge of the deck, pried open and tossed overboard. The chunky, blood-covered mess seeped into the water, and the stench was picked up by the wind and drifted out in all directions. Convening at the stern, the crew watched as the fin turned around and headed towards them.

"Is the tank ready?" the captain asked.

**YES.**

"Then what are we waiting for? Come on!"

As the fin began to circle the boat, the crew unfurled a large fishing net that they filled with more chum and gently lowered into the water. The shark slowed down as it came around once more and approached the trap, but it seemed to forget any danger when the smell of the fish reached its nostrils. It barreled forward, only to stop with a jerk as it tangled itself in the mesh.

The captain's face lit up. _"Pull!"_

Each pirate grabbed one of the ropes tied to the corners of the net, and they slowly but surely hauled it out of the water. With it came a large blue shark, thrashing around and gnashing its rows of teeth angrily.

"Perfect!" the captain exclaimed. "Easy now, get it over to the tank and — "**  
**

_"HELP!"_

One end of the net sagged as Jenny's rope broke from her loose grip and ran through her fingers. While she scrambled to reclaim it, the shark intensified its struggle and began to slip back towards the water.

"It's alright!" Scarf yelled to her, trying to conceal the panic in his tone. "Just try and get hold of it!"

"I can't...!"

She stumbled and let the rope fly from her hands altogether, only for a pair of teeth to latch onto it. Shoving her out of the way, Marvin braced himself and tugged the falling side of the net back into position. The shark tried to launch itself at the pirates as they pulled it up on deck, but it just got more tied up in the rope. The Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens picked it up and tossed it into the tank, where it floated to the bottom and glared at its captors with the most evil eye it could muster.

"Good job, boy!" the captain exclaimed as he caught his breath. "Extra hardtack for you tonight. Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked his friends.

Most of the crew was slowly backing away from the tank. Jenny was still sitting on the deck, pale and shivering. They watched as she struggled to her feet and fled into the hold.

"Captain?" Scarf said. "May I suggest you let them take an hour or two off?"

"My thoughts exactly. You all heard him; an hour off!"

While most of the crew disappeared beneath the deck, Scarf stayed behind and looked at the shark tank. "We ought to move this. If he gets out, he'll just fall back into the ocean."

"We'll handle that after the meeting."

"What meeting?"

"We're through with step one, but now we've got to think about step two!" the captain declared, showing his first mate a map of the world. He had drawn a line across the Atlantic, into the Mediterranean, past Istanbul and up to Romania. "There's plenty of Draculas over there, right?"

"That's rather out of our way, sir. It'd be a long trip."

"Yes, I suppose so? Do you think some of them emigrated? Maybe there are records around. They might even say if one of them ever fought a shark! Oh, but then we'd have gone to all that trouble for nothing..."

While the captain rambled on, he failed to notice the piece of newspaper that was floating along the wind and up to the boat. Scarf tried to catch it, but it evaded his grasp and smacked the captain right in the face. "Poseidon's cuticle...!"

"I'm sorry, I tried to — "

"Don't worry, I've got it," he said, peeling the paper off his face. As he began to crumple it up, he saw something printed on the page that made him stop. "Number Two?" he said, staring intently at his find. "Set the table up and tell the others I'll be speaking to them in half an hour." A grin spread across his face as he abruptly hurried off to his cabin.

"What are you doing?"

"I've got to chart a new course!" He slammed the door shut and opened it again a moment later. "Oh, and get some disguises together. Fancy ones!"

* * *

It was half an hour after the time of the meeting before the captain strolled into the hold with a rolled-up canvas under his arm. He set it aside before pulling the newspaper out of his beard and tossing it onto the table. "First things first, I want you all to have a good look at the bit I've circled."

**DRACULA ARRIVES **

_**Observers reported that the esteemed Count Vlad Dracula of Wallachia made his arrival in New Orleans yesterday with no fanfare. He is known to have purchased 1140 Royal Street for his use a month ago, and he will be living there with his three sisters and servant R.M. Renfield. The Count and his retinue are expected to make their first appearance at the opera this Saturday.  
**_

"And to think that it just blew in and hit me in the face! Now I know what you're all thinking — it's no good if we don't have a plan for getting close to this Dracula, right? Quite right! Which is why I've got it all figured out." Picking up the canvas, he hung it from the ceiling and unfurled it to reveal a series of doodles. "First we go to this opera..." A picture of the ship sailing up to a large, palatial structure labeled **OPERA.** "...Then we find Dracula..." The stick figure pirates encountered a stick figure in a cape. "...And when the time is right, we grab him!" The stick figures carried their prisoner back to the boat. "That's when we pit him against the shark and see what happens..." The caped stick figure and a shark were flung at each other. "...Then we go tell Bellamy all about it and win the bet!" The captain stood over a moping Bellamy while he himself was surrounded by gold and jewels. "So what do you think?"

His crew members stared at him with wide eyes and slack jaws. Mr. Bobo was the first to respond: **HONESTLY?**

"Of course! It's foolproof!"

"Are you sure looking for some records wouldn't be a better idea?" Scarf said.

"This will be quicker — "

"Sir, it could get you _hanged," _the first mate continued, standing up. "It's not worth putting yourself in that kind of danger just to get the better of Bellamy."

The captain, seemingly unsurprised by what he had said, motioned for him to sit down once more. "There's two reason why I'm doing this," he told his crew. "First and foremost being that I know I'm right. But that's not important at the moment! What's important is that I know I can prove that I'm right, because I've got all of you! Why, this'll just be a stroll along the dock for us! If I thought it would harm you, I wouldn't be trying it. Does that make you feel better?"

They nodded. It was a slow, somewhat forced nod, but they still nodded.

"Good! Now there's a strong wind headed north, and we'll get there just in time if we can catch it. Off we go!"

The anchor was raised, the sails were unfurled, the wind was caught and the ship was propelled forward while a cloud of uneasiness hung over its crew the whole time.

* * *

**...Eh. **


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

* * *

The ocean soon narrowed into a wide river, and the river twisted and turned into the land until it carried the Pirate Ship around a turn and showed them their destination. "Harbor incoming!" the Pirate With Gout yelled when he saw it.

"Just park wherever there's a spot!" the captain yelled back from his cabin.

"But you always park."

"Well, I'm busy today."

The boat slid up between two paddle steamers, and the crew dropped the anchor, lowered the gangplank and wandered into the bustling city.

Square houses of pink, blue, yellow and green were packed together in neat blocks along crisscrossing cobblestone streets. The long wrought iron balconies with their elegant curls wound their way around each one. From the open shutters flowed laughter, singing, jaunty melodies and a feast of smells from strange foods that ranged from sweet to spicy to whatever else could be thought of. A tall white cathedral stood in the square watching over it all, and on a particularly crowded street stood the largest building of all, a bright rectangle covered in glowing windows and lined with pillars.

_"That,"_ said the captain as he pointed at it, "is where we need to go."

* * *

"Captain, I can't really see why this is necessary," the Pirate With A Scarf said as he tried not to trip over the skirt of his frilly pink dress.

"We need to look like we're in pairs. Much more convincing that way. If Pirate Who Likes Sunsets And Kittens can pull it off, then so can you." Raising his opera glasses to his eyes, the Pirate Captain stumbled his way through the crowd as he scouted the auditorium for an empty box. "I think I've got a defective pair."

"You don't use them until the show starts," Jenny told him.

"That was my second guess, you know," he answered, trying not to look sheepish as he lowered the glasses. "Ah, much better. I think I see one!" He was staring at a little box tucked away in a corner of the auditorium, unnoticed by the rest of the opera-goers. Pushing out a path to their target, they all squeezed inside. Their view of the stage was only slightly more than a profile, but every other seat and box sat unobstructed from their eyes.

"Perfect!" the captain laughed, donning his glasses once more and began scanning the audience. "That fellow's got to be around here somewhere...oh, _now_ what's going on?" he exclaimed as the lights abruptly dimmed and the musicians in the orchestra began to tune their instruments.

"They're starting the show, sir," said Scarf.

"Already?" This evening was moving more quickly than he'd thought. Time for extra measures. "I want you all to split up," he whispered to his crew. "We'll find him much sooner that way. If you think you've found him, come back and tell me. Now off with you!"

They slipped away into the darkness, his first mate pausing for a moment before following the others. The captain sat back and continued to search with his glasses, unaware of the thin figure lurking behind him.

* * *

Jenny leaned against a wall and sighed while the audience hurried around her, reveling in the brief solace of intermission. "Any of you find something?"

The pirates all shook their heads. "I don't understand it," said Albino Pirate. "Why does the silly old flute get to be magic? What's wrong with an accordion? And why is there a bird man?"

"It'll all make sense when yer old enough to have a few drinks beforehand, lad," the Pirate With Gout told him.

"No one really watches them anyway," said Jenny. "I'm going outside for a bit." She stepped out of the auditorium into the hall, stretching her arms and yawning. It wasn't a _terrible_ night, really. At least it reminded her of going places with **—**

"Jennifer!"

Jenny nearly fell over as a swiftly moving form with a green dress and curly red hair dashed up and enveloped her in its arms._ "Lucy?"_

The girl nodded enthusiastically as she released Jenny from her tight grasp and looked her over. "I didn't know you were coming here! You should have written."

"I didn't expect to see you here, either! How long has it been, two years?"

"Three! Still bad about keeping time, are you?"

"I can tell you're still bad about manners!"

Ten minutes later, the pirates found them sitting on a bench together and deep in discussion about each others' siblings. "Jenny?" said Albino Pirate. "I think they're about to start again — oh, hello."**  
**

Lucy looked up. "Your beau's calling you," she said to Jenny.

"Oh, no! These are my friends I was telling you about." She turned to the pirates. "Lucy Westenra. We went to school together."

"A pleasure to meet you," Lucy said as she stood and curtseyed.

"Pleasure's all ours. Everyone's going back to their seats," Scarf added to Jenny as the lights dimmed in the auditorium. "We should probably start looking again."

"Do we _have _to?" asked Albino Pirate.

"I'm afraid so," the first mate answered while trying not to look like he agreed with the boy. "We'll look at the boxes again."

"We've looked at 'em all _twice,"_ said Emma.

"Are you trying to find Count Dracula?" Lucy asked. "It seems everyone is. I've had dozens of people ask me about him already."

"Do you know him?" Jenny asked.

Lucy blushed as she looked at the floor. "The wedding's going to be just after Easter."

Jenny gasped. _"Really?_ That's wonderful!"

"Come on, I'll introduce you all to him!" Grabbing Jenny's hand, Lucy led the group back into the auditorium and pointed to a box just above the stage. "That's where we're sitting."

Scarf squinted. "I don't think he's there." Three young, dark-haired women were visible, as well as a balding older man, but no one who looked like a count.

"That's odd," said Lucy. "I thought he'd be back by now..."

Their thoughts were drowned out as the music blared up from the orchestra pit again. "Oh, I have to be getting back!" Lucy exclaimed. "Perhaps I'll see you again later!" She scampered away, and it was time for another hour of bird people and strange singing.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to stay with me?" Lucy asked the group as they stood on the steps of the opera house later that night, waiting for her carriage to arrive.

"No, we've got a place," Jenny answered. "We're just waiting for someone."

As if on cue, the captain stepped through the front door. "Wonderful to meet you, too!" he called out to someone still inside before marching down the steps to his crew. "Already set to go, aren't you good."

"Did you find anything, sir?" Scarf asked.

"Afraid not. I got distracted, actually. Ran into this fellow who said he hadn't the faintest idea what was happening onstage either, then one thing led to another and we were talking all evening! Charming man, wish I'd caught his name. Perhaps you saw him. Tall, black hair, very pale..."

"So _that's_ where Vlad's been!" Lucy exclaimed.

The captain shut his mouth, and even in the dim light, his first mate could tell that his face was slowly turning red.

"You know," Lucy continued, "I've got a wonderful idea! We're having our engagement party tomorrow evening. You ought to come!"

"Well, I don't know if we can — "**  
**

"Don't be silly, Number Two. Of course we'll be there!"

"But — "**  
**

"Perfect! It starts at seven. I'll go tell Vlad!" Lucy hugged Jenny one last time before running back into the opera house.

"...We'll try, at least!" Scarf shouted after her.

"We won't_ try,"_ said the captain. "We _will."_

* * *

**Hooray, the bloodbags are arriving! I mean, the characters.**

**A quick notice; I'm going to be starting school tomorrow, so updates might get pretty sparse. Also, I have a Tumblr now. I go by the name of mortthepirategirl. Look me up if you're interested. :)**

**~ A. Kingsleigh**


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

* * *

1140 Royal Street stuck out from the houses surrounding it like a pirate who was missing a nose and had nothing with which to cover up the hole. It was a story higher than the rest of the buildings for at least a mile around, and it was painted a dark gray. Not a curtain was open, and no one answered the heavy oak door when the guests began to arrive. It was as though the place was not inhabited at all. Promptly at seven, however, the door swung inwards to reveal the butler, an older gentlemen, who hurried them inside. "Welcome," he said feverishly to each one. "The master has been expecting you."

Paintings of stern men and women in medieval garb lined the foyer, all looking to the end of the hall. Two stairways and a landing led to the upper floors, and beneath the landing was a set of double doors. The butler opened these, and the guests stepped into a grand ballroom. Black and white marble covered the floor in square tiles. The walls were deep red, and a tapestry of a peaceful nighttime valley watched over by a stone castle hung over the doors. Flames crackled and sparked in a marble fireplace. From the ceiling hung a crystal chandelier that glittered in the light cast by the round electric lamps on each wall.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Jenny exclaimed, gasping at the sight.

"Oh, _yes!"_ said several of the pirates, whose eyes were fixed on the buffet table in the corner.

"Save a bit for the others, lads!" the captain called after them as they ran off. "Chuck, Emma, go watch them. Jenny, go scope this place out. Number Two, come with me." He approached the butler, who was standing in front of the doors. "Excuse me. We're looking for the host."

The butler's head whipped around to stare unblinkingly at them. "What does the guest wish to see the master for?"

"I met him last night. He'll recognize me."

"Then Renfield shall take the guest to see the master."

"Ah, perfect. So where is this Renfield fellow?"

The man gestured to himself. "Follow Renfield to see the master."

"...Oh. Alright, then."

Renfield fixed his glazed eyes on the Pirate With A Scarf. "Only one guest at a time may see the master. This guest will stay behind."

"Why's that?" the captain asked.

"It is the master's rule."

"Are you okay with that, Number Two?"

"I suppose..."

"We don't want to offend the count."

"Indeed the guests do not," said Renfield. "Now follow Renfield." He shot Scarf a victorious smirk before leading the captain away.

As they left, Scarf found himself wishing very hard for something unpleasant to happen to Mr. Renfield — preferably administered by himself.**  
**

* * *

"Found something you all like?" Emma asked the boys as she watched them try tiny nuggets of delicate, juicy white meat.

"It's a very unusual taste," Charles answered. "What is this, anyway?"

**ALLIGATOR.**

Charles froze before slowly handing the piece he had been holding to Pirate With Gout, who eagerly swallowed it.

"Do not act so surprised," a female voice behind them said. "At times it can seem as though there is no limit to what humans will consume."

It was the three women from the opera, who were all staring intently at them and wearing red dresses with _very_ low necklines. "They say our ancestors drank blood," one of them said. "That it helped them win battles and conquer kingdoms."

"I presume you're the count's sisters?" Emma asked, holding out a hand for them to shake.

The trio brushed past her and began to circle around the men. "Miss Westenra told us of you," the first one said. "Her words do you hardly any justice."

"I'm sure she only said nice things," answered Albino Pirate, oblivious to their advances.

"We have not yet found worthy dancing partners," said the second sister as the musicians arrived and struck up a waltz. "Might _you_ know of any?"

"Yer not gonna find one here," Pirate With Gout said, gesturing to his bandaged foot.

The third sister descended on Charles. "A handsome man such as yourself should not deprive the ladies of your company."

"I-I'm really not very interesting or — "**  
**

"You are far too humble," she said, linking arms with him and all but dragging him towards the dance floor.

"I suppose there's time for at least one," Charles said. He flashed a quick grin at Emma, who glared at the scene before her and rolled her eyes. "He's going to make a scene of himself an' blow our cover. Or somethin' like that."

The other two sisters exchanged looks and laughed to themselves as they flounced off, still in search of their own prey.

* * *

Jenny swayed in place as the waltz played on, staring longingly out at the dance floor. Maybe if she could convince the captain that it was to get a better look at their surroundings and if she had someone to dance with...

"May I?"

The smooth voice got her attention, and she turned to find a man standing next to her. He was young, no more than twenty, but his eyes seemed much older. They were a light gold, almost like butterscotch, and they were almost sparkling as he gazed at her. His skin was a creamy pale, every strand of his auburn hair was slicked back perfectly, and the corner of his mouth was slightly curled up in what could have been either a smile or a smirk. "Would you like to dance, miss?" he asked, apparently thinking he had not been understood.

"...Yes," she answered. "I'd like that very much."

He took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. "I've been watching you all night," he whispered as he placed his other hand on her hip and began to move her around. "You looked as though you were waiting for something to happen."

"Very kind of you to notice," she whispered back. "I haven't waltzed in a while, though."

"I can't tell."

She couldn't bring herself to look away from his eyes. They were so deep, so...hypnotic. The music faded away, and she returned to reality only when her partner let her go. "You can stop now."

"Oh! Sorry..."

He took her hand and gently kissed it as she blushed. "Nothing to be ashamed of. You dance very well, Miss Winters."

And just like that, the spell was broken. "How do you know my name?"

"Vlad!" It was Lucy, running across the room to them. "Vlad, I've been looking all over for you! We're supposed to make the announcement now, remember?"

"Vlad...? Wait, _you're_ Count Dracula?"

"Perhaps I should have introduced myself."

A hand tapped him on the back. "Master! A guest has asked Renfield to lead him to the master! The guest is waiting for him at this very moment!"

"You must excuse me," said Dracula as he shooed the women away. "I won't be long, Lucy."

"But what about — "**  
**

"I _said_ I won't be long." He was gone without another word.

"...You saw all of that, didn't you?" Jenny asked as Lucy stared at the floor, her excitement draining away. "If I'd known — "**  
**

"You needn't apologize," Lucy said softly. "It's his way." After a moment, she regained her composure. "I'd rather not talk of him right now. Come on, Jenny. I think there's still a few beignets left."

* * *

"So, captain," said Dracula as the two men stood before the fireplace, "what do you think of all this?"

"It's quite splendid! I think someone else would be a better judge of that, though."

"Their opinions are worthless to me," the count snapped. "Were it not for my title, they would pay me no mind at all."

"Well, at least they think highly of that."

"If I could, I would make all the world venerate me regardless of it."

"Rather lofty idea, that. I mean, there's always going to be a nay-sayer _somewhere."_

"Not in my plan," Dracula muttered under his breath. "But I digress. Truth be told, I only plan to stay in this city for a few months. It is my intention to learn the etiquette of society here and depart for London at the end of spring."

"You don't say! I've been there a few times. First things first, stay away from the queen if you can...I say, are you feeling alright?"

Dracula had doubled over, coughing and rubbing his throat. "We shall discuss this further at another time..."

"Oh, of course. Tomorrow morning, perhaps?"

The count nodded quickly. "Renfield!" he wheezed, looking up. Dark circles were forming under his eyes. "Renfield, escort the guests out!"

Renfield was at his side in a moment. "The master has fallen ill!" he shouted, shooing the guests towards the door. "He bids you leave at once!"

Some of the people grumbled, but they obediently filed out into the foyer. The sisters gathered around Dracula and helped him up the stairs as Lucy and Renfield followed. "Come on, Number Two!" the captain called out.

"I'll be there in a moment, sir," Scarf answered, staring up at Dracula. He'd only seen the count once before from across the ballroom, but he was quite sure that last time, the man hadn't had pointed ears.

* * *

**Fun-ish Fact: 1140 Royal Street is a real place, and you can actually see it if you go to New Orleans. The interior was mostly my speculation, though. And Dracula didn't actually live there, but someone almost just as nasty did. Look the place up, if you dare and have a strong stomach. You'll need it.**

**And on that pleasant note, I bid you farewell until next time!**

**~ A. Kingsleigh**


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

* * *

When the crew awoke the next morning, they talked only briefly of the party, and most of those words pertained to either the abrupt ending or the alligator. The Pirate With A Scarf had not forgotten the strange affair of Dracula's ears, but he could not think of any proper way to discuss it. The Pirate With Gout started to cook breakfast, a spot was found in the hold wall that needed patching and it wasn't long before all strange thoughts were pushed to the back of the pirates' minds.

_It was probably just some trick of the light,_ Scarf told himself as they were putting away the plates. He had to keep a clear head about this; the man was already sufficiently unsettling, and seeing the captain close to him only made it worse. At least they were rid of him for the moment **—**

_Eeee, eeee, eeee. _Two sets of unfamiliar footsteps were creaking along the deck, heading for the captain's cabin.

They all briefly froze before Scarf gripped the handle of the frying pan he was holding and crept towards the ladder. Pushing open the hatch as quietly as possible, he poked his head out. Nothing in front of the cabin door. Then where, he wondered as he looked around, were those sounds coming from?

The answer was polite enough to present itself less than an inch from his face. Scarf screamed as he found Renfield staring at him, lost his grip on the ladder rungs and tumbled down to the floor, accidentally smacking himself in the face with the pan.

Renfield was unconcerned. "The servant of the master's friend should not be so easily frightened."

"What are _you_ doing here?" Scarf demanded as he struggled to his feet and climbed up once more while his friends followed him.

"Renfield and the master have come to see the master's friend," Renfield answered, pointing behind him. There stood Dracula, sipping from a gold flask with an air of disinterest and discomfort. His ears were back to normal, but now he was wearing a large, round pair of dark spectacles and standing beneath a black umbrella. "Doesn't look like it's going to rain today," Emma remarked when she saw it.

"The sunlight and my skin do not agree with one another."

The group turned at the sound of the cabin door opening. "Ah, there you are! Do come in. Shall I put some tea on?"

"That shall not be required," Dracula answered, giving the captain a smile which came out looking like a grimace. "Perhaps you would enjoy some of the wine I have brought..." He swept past the captain, who shut the cabin door behind them both. The rest of the crew watched to see if Renfield would follow, but he simply stood in front of the door and stared back at them. _Just **try** and get past me,_ his bloodshot eyes seemed to be saying.

"C-Can we go back to the hold?" Albino Pirate asked.

"I've got a better idea," said Scarf. Shooting one last dark look at Renfield, he started off down the gangplank. "Follow me."

"Where are we going?"

"Just follow me."

They hesitated for a moment, but soon joined him all the same. "Do you have any _idea_ of where we're going?" Charles asked once they were on the docks and heading into town.

"Someplace where they can't hear us talk."

* * *

"That's impossible!"

"I know what I saw, Charles," Scarf said, looking around the tavern to make sure no one was listening to them. "I don't know how I saw it, but I did."

"I thought you didn't need any more reasons to dislike him," said Jenny.

"Believe me, I _don't." _Leaning forward, he lowered his voice. "Even if it wasn't real, there's still something not right about him and that Renfield fellow. Did you see him blink once this morning?"

"That's not all he don't do!" a gravelly voice shouted as a dirty fist slammed onto the crew's table. Both belonged to an old man with a wooden ball in one eye socket and several missing teeth. "He don't think usin' his own mind. Them demons got 'im good."

"...Demons?"

"That's why he helped 'em get a spot on that boat. Don't you know about that boat?" The Pirate With Gout perked up at the possibility of hearing a morbid sea tale, and that was enough incentive to begin. "Was a fortnight back," he said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "This old boat come floating into the harbor. Sailed off from somewhere called Varna, they said. It was floating 'cuz there weren't a crew. Just four coffins an' the captain's book.

"So they read the book, an' it says there was fourteen men in the crew. The coffins was just cargo, full o' dirt when they got checked. Shoulda been checked better, 'cuz the crew started comin' down with something right quick. Book called it plague, said they got all pale an' had holes on their necks like skeeter bites. Killed 'em just as fast as skeeters, too. Three weeks in, the captain an' first mate were the only ones left. Captain said he could feel somethin' on the boat, all dark an' evil. Said he was going to look at the coffins, an' he didn't write no more after that.

"Then the people go an' open the coffins right on the dock. Dirt's there, alright, 'long with a bunch of black rats that go scurryin' into town. Day after that? Count says he's here."

By now, the rest of the tavern-goers had stopped their activities to watch him with bemusement. "I seen 'em at night," he continued, paying no attention to their snickers. "Tryin' to feed. Don't have to worry 'bout how they look when no one's gonna see 'em."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Charles asked disdainfully.

"Just don't go walkin' in the dark. They'll snatch you up an' drag you off to Hell, they will!"

At this, the tavern-goers burst into mocking laughter. While the man proceeded to angrily redirect his chatter at them, the pirates slipped back outside and started towards the docks once more. Perhaps, they hoped, the morning was now content to let the remainder of its time pass in peace.

* * *

It was not.

"Captain!" Scarf called out as he led the group up the gangplank. "Captain, we're back!" Renfield was gone, which gave him a bit of comfort. The captain did not answer, which took it right back again. He knocked on the cabin door, and opened it when he didn't hear anything. "Captain...?"

The captain and Dracula were gone. On the desk sat a short scribble of a note, its ink still wet. **WILL BE BACK SOON.**

_Very reassuring, sir._

"Look!" said Albino Pirate. "They forgot this." He had spotted Dracula's flask lying on the floor and picked it up.

"I'll see to it," Scarf said. He took the container, its contents sloshing about. "Stay here in case they come back." Stepping back outside, he stopped in the hold to grab a knife before heading off to Royal Street.

He was taking a shortcut through an alleyway when he smelled it. A strong, bitter odor of salt and rust that made him shudder. He'd only bled once, but that was enough to remember it. Where was it coming from, though? Had he cut himself? No, he would've noticed by now. Was something in the alley making it? There was nothing around but the fading paw prints of a cat.

Then he finally looked down at the flask. A dry, dark crust of something was on the neck, just under the cap. His fingers trembled as he began to unscrew it **—**

_"Master's life!"_

One of Renfield's claw-like hands grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, and the other snatched the flask from his hand. "You have stolen the master's life!" he snarled in Scarf's face.

"I-I was bringing it back! He left it at the boat."

Renfield stared at him for an agonizingly long moment before tucking the flask in his coat. "Renfield has a message for the servant of the master's friend," he said. "The master and the master's friend will not be disturbed by him. Not if he values his life."

Sweeping back into the street, he turned a corner and disappeared.

"What happened to you?" the pirates asked when Scarf returned. The color had gone from his face, beads of sweat were dripping down his face and he was trembling all over.

"We need to get the captain out of here."

* * *

**Poor, poor Scarf. He thinks he can end this story early. I almost feel sorry for him.**

**~ A. Kingsleigh**


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

* * *

"And why do you want us to do that?"

"Captain, we don't think it's safe here," the Pirate With A Scarf said, putting a hand on the captain's shoulder. "Especially where you're concerned. The count is...he's not what he looks like, I'm quite sure of that."

"He's simply got a different way of doing things, that's all."

There was no arguing with_ that._ "Still, I think we ought to move a little more quickly," said the first mate. "You don't want us to lose to Bellamy."

"Of course we won't! Is that what you're worried about?"

"...Yes."

"I'll make sure we're through by the end of the week, then. How does that sound?"

"Thank you, sir," Scarf answered. "Thank you very much."

Outside the cabin door, the listening crew breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"Tell you what," the captain said as he walked to the door, "I'll bring him down here for the test right now!"

"It's rather late, sir. Best save it for morning. We'll need time to get ready, you know."

"A fine thought! That's what you're best at, you know." He flung the cabin door open, smacking Charles in the face. "Early to bed tonight! We've got a big day ahead of us!"

"Get some rest yourself," Scarf told him as the others hurried off. "You look tired." Even from several feet away, he could see faint red lines in the captain's eyes and dark circles beneath them.

He shrugged. "If you say so."

Scarf wondered at this for a moment, but it was swiftly chased from his mind by the sound of Jenny screaming about a weevil nest. Thirty minutes and one destructive chase around the hold later, whatever remaining energy they had possessed was sapped. Flopping into their hammocks without complaint, they were soon sleeping soundly. So soundly, in fact, that they failed to notice the creak of the boards as their captain walked across the deck and opened the hatch.

* * *

**_"Hello?" _**_Jenny called out. She thought it was her calling out, at least — it was her voice and her word, but she couldn't feel herself speaking it._

_As she pushed her way through the inky haze that enveloped, lines gradually faded into being. They became shapes, and the shapes became structures. They arranged themselves into a labyrinth of narrow stone paths lined with tall gravestones.  
_

**_"Is anyone here?" _**_s__he said. _

**_"...Only us..."_**

_A gloved hand reached from the shadows and grasped Jenny's. She gasped and jerked away, but stepped back again when the figure revealed itself. It was Lucy, with a white dress and a vacant expression. **"Only us," **she repeated in a monotone.  
_

**_"Are you alright?" _**_Jenny asked, waving a hand before her face. **"You're not sleepwalking again, are you?"**  
_

_Lucy blinked once and slowly turned her head towards her. Her eyes lit up, and Jenny saw that they were blood red.** "No one to hear you,"** she said, giggling as the corners of her mouth lifted up into a grin of grotesque delight. Her front teeth had sharpened into fangs. In the blink of an eye, she had pounced.  
_

_Jenny screamed in pain and horror as the little blades pierced her neck. She pushed the Lucy-like creature off her and tried to run, only to slam into a tombstone that rose up from the ground to block her path. Atop it sat a stone bat with wings spread, mouth open and glowing red gems for eyes. **"This,"** it said to her as she grew dizzy, **"is the fate that befalls any human daring to defy me."**_

* * *

Jenny's eyes snapped open, and her hand instantly flew to her neck. Nothing but sweat. She was in her hammock, lying on her side, and the pirates were still dozing all around her. Moonlight streamed in from the open hatch, and there wasn't a sound to be heard. Sighing in a way that sounded more like a shudder, she turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

Or would have, had she failed to notice the bat staring at her.

"AAAHHH! Kill it! _Kill it!"_

The pirates were roused in a second, but that wasn't quick enough to stop the animal. Jenny watched as it flew to the hatch and stared back at her before dissolving into dark mist that floated outside. Jumping from her hammock, she raced up the ladder after it. "You're not getting away!" she yelled as she climbed up on deck, but there was nothing to yell at.

"What isn't getting away?" the captain said, emerged from his cabin and rubbing his eyes. "Did you leave the hatch open, Number Two?"

"You know I never do!" Scarf protested as he stepped onto the deck. "Jenny, did you do anything? We're not mad, we're just...where are you going now?"

"Oh no," Jenny murmured. Dropping the gangplank, she ran onto the dock and towards a prone figure on the cobblestones. "No no no no no..."

Lying on the ground was Lucy. The hem of her nightgown and her slippers were covered in dirt, her skin was pale, her breathing was shallow. Two small trails of blood were flowing down her neck and forming a puddle on the rocks. Her eyes partially opened at the sound of Jenny's voice. "...Jennifer...?"

"I'm right here," Jenny said, kneeling beside her and ripping off a bit of her dress to stop the bleeding. "It's going to be alright."

"He has...he has such red eyes, Jennifer..."

"Let's not talk of it. _Aren't you **coming?"**_ she shouted back at the pirates.

"What happened?" the captain asked as he led the others towards them.

"She's bleeding out of her neck. We've got to get her onto the ship."

The captain looked confused, but the Pirate Who Likes Sunsets And Kittens lifted her up as the other went ahead to get a hammock ready. Jenny followed them, shivering in the night air.

Above their heads, a bat looked down on them with a scowl before flying off to Royal Street.

* * *

"How do you know that she is too weak to be moved?"

"She's still in shock," Charles told Dracula, "and she's lost quite a bit of blood from that neck wound. Putting her in a carriage might make it worse."

"What do plan to do with her, then?" the count snapped.

"I thought we could keep her here for a few days, let her improve — "**  
**

"Absolutely not! I wish to know her condition at all times. Captain, I trust you shall let good sense prevail?"

The captain paused, looking from Dracula to the hammock where Lucy lay and back. "Er...I'm with Chuck on this one, actually."

Dracula rolled his eyes. "Very well. But when she improves, I wish to be notified at once." Putting his spectacles back on, he climbed out of the hold and left without another word.

"Did you hear that, Lucy?" Jenny asked, tending to her neck. "You'll be well again in no time."

Lucy didn't answer. She only stared fearfully at the space where Dracula had been and fingered the two small holes in her neck.

* * *

**I meant to get this up sooner, but I've been so distracted lately. Too many plot bunnies. Down, boys! Down!**

**~ A. Kingsleigh**


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

* * *

"Polly, don't poke at those," Albino Pirate said as he lifted the dodo away from Lucy's neck. "You don't want to stop those marks from healing up nicely, do you?" The two little wounds had closed up into small lumps within a day, but that was the only improvement there seemed to be. The girl was still paler than normal, and she hadn't said a coherent word to any of the pirates.

"Could you two move for a moment?" Charles told the boy as he climbed down into the hold. "I need to check something." Picking up Lucy's arm, he gently pressed her wrist. "I thought so..."

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes, I think so. You need to call the others in here."

They both jumped as Jenny came barreling in through the door. "She's dying, isn't she? I've been suspecting it!"

"I didn't say that!" Charles answered, trying to shush her. "But her pulse is slowing down. She hasn't got enough blood. We need to act quickly."

"What can we do?"

He seemed hesitant to answer. "...A transfusion."

"A what?" Jenny and Albino Pirate asked.

"Getting some blood into her," Charles explained. "You've got to draw it out of someone else and put it in the person who needs it. I-It'll have to be one of us, I think — "**  
**

"I'll do it," said Jenny.

Charles and Albino Pirate stared at her. _"Really?"_

"It's more useful than just sitting next to her all day."

"Far more dangerous, too."

"Try something safer, then."

"There isn't — "**  
**

"I didn't think so."

Charles sighed. "It's going to be rather complicated. And painful."

"How?"

"We'll have to find some needles..."

* * *

The syringe was quite long and getting a bit dull at the end. The pirates had managed to sharpen it and clean off the rust, but that did nothing to make it appear less menacing. Attached to it was a length of thin rubber pipe that ran through a small metal pump and into another, equally menacing syringe. This one had been pushed into the side of Lucy's arm, and the other was in Charles's hand.

Jenny gripped the arms of her chair a little tighter. "Have you done this before?"

"I've watched...for the most part..."

"Well, there's a first time for everything, you know!" the captain said, clapping him on the back. "Go on."

"...Yes, well, there's going to be a bit of a pinch for a minute or so. You can't move or you'll push it around."

Albino Pirate patted Jenny's hand, which was now turning white. "It could be worse. A cannon would blow a much bigger hole in you!"

"Thank you..."

"Ready?" Charles asked.

Jenny shut her eyes and grabbed Albino Pirate's hand. "Ready."

She felt the needle go into her upper arm, creating an uncomfortable sensation of pressing and stinging that centered in a single spot and burned. Albino Pirate yelped as her grip began to cut off his circulation.

"Don't fret, you're doing well!" Charles told her. Picking up the pump, he began to gently pull it back and forth.

The burning grew stronger, and the pipe began to twist around as Jenny's blood was sucked inside. It flowed across to the other pipe and down into Lucy's veins.

"Is it working?" Jenny asked, her eyes opening ever so slightly.

"I can't tell yet...wait, she's moving a little!" Charles stopped pumping, and the burning subsided to a dull throb.

When she felt the needle slide out of her skin, Jenny opened her eyes and let out the breath she had been holding. "Lucy? Lucy, are you awake?"

Color was already returning to the girl's cheeks. Her head turned towards the sound of Jenny's voice as her hand twitched and tried to lift. Jenny took it in hers and lightly squeezed it. "I did say you were going to be fine, didn't I?"

The others began congratulating Charles, who simply stared at the transfusion apparatus in surprise. "Can you believe it actually _worked?"_

* * *

"Captain?" Scarf called out as he knocked on the cabin door. No answer. _Perfect._ Turning the hand as quietly as possible, he slowly swung the door open and stepped inside.

The captain was gone, but he had left Polly sleeping on her perch. She woke up as Scarf crept past her and stared at him, her head cocked in curiosity and confusion.

"No need to fret, girl," Scarf said as he stroked her feathers. "I won't be long. Don't tell Captain I was here."

The dodo nodded and began to settle back down, but she still kept her eyes on him as he crept to the bookshelf.

Scarf ran his fingers along the colorful spines of the volumes. The captain had often spoke about getting rid of the one he was looking for...wait, was this it? He pulled out a thing black book that was covered in dust and tucked away in a corner of the shelf. Sitting down at the desk with it, he began flipping through the fragile pages. Mermaids, sea monsters, were-rabbits...here they were! Any weaknesses?

...Yes, that ought to be _quite_ doable.

* * *

It didn't take long for the smell to waft up from the hold to the deck and get the rest of the crew's attention. Down the ladder they came, covering their noses and demanding to know what in Neptune's name Scarf was up to.

The first mate looked up from the book with an innocent smile. "Just trying to help out."

Hanging around Lucy's neck and above her hammock were garlands of garlic flowers in bloom. Lucy was awake and holding one in her hand. "You don't like them?" she said as she sniffed it. "I think they're rather comforting."

The captain stared at her, perplexed. "Er...how is that supposed to help, exactly?"

"Medicinal properties," the first mate answered. "Supposed to be soothing."

The captain noticed Charles raising a single eyebrow at this. "Did you tell him to do that, Chuck?"

Charles looked from the flowers to Scarf to the book and back. "Um...yes! Yes, I did."

"Very well," the captain sighed. "But do dispose of them before the smell gets into everything. Maybe Marvin would like them. Wouldn't you, Marvin?"

Marvin approached them, took one whiff and scurried away as fast as he could.

* * *

"Keep the hatch locked," Scarf told the others as they prepared for bed that evening. "Don't move the garlic."

He was preparing to go up on deck when Jenny approached him. "What's it _really_ for?"

Scarf glanced towards the hold ladder before leaning closer to her. "It'll keep Dracula away, at least if I'm right about him."

"How's it supposed to — "**  
**

But he put a finger to his lips and climbed outside. As he shut the hatch, he took a silver coin from his pocket and placed it on the handle. _That ought to be enough._ Yawning, he started towards the crow's nest.

A hand grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Oh no you don't," the captain said. "I'll stand guard tonight."

"That won't be necessary, sir — "**  
**

"Nonsense! You look like you're ready to drop. Back you go!"

Scarf continued to protest as the captain pushed him into the hold and to his hammock. When he lay down, though, drowsiness began to spread over him immediately. "What did I tell you?" the captain said as he walked off.

This time, Scarf said nothing. He was asleep within a few minutes, along with the rest of the crew. No one noticed that as he had left, the captain had not closed the door to the hold.

* * *

**I love cliffhangers. Don't you? :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

* * *

"AAAHHH!"

_THWACK!_ "Get away from him! Shoo! _Shoo!"_

The Pirate With A Scarf tried to get up and tumbled out of his hammock onto the floor. As he sat up, he caught sight of Albino Pirate curled up in the corner, trembling with fear. Jenny was awake as well, chasing a fluttering dark object around the hold while swinging a broom. "Don't you _dare...!"_

"What's going on?" Scarf demanded as the other pirates began to wake and stare in confusion.

Jenny stopped. "I was ready for it this time," she replied, lifting the broom. "It got out, though."

"How'd it get _in?"_ Charles exclaimed.

Scarf looked toward the ladder leading to the deck and noticed a wide stream of moonlight coming down from above. "Did you open the hatch, Jenny?"

"Of course not! Why would I..." Jenny trailed off before suddenly gasping. "Lucy!" She hurried to her friend, who was still lying down and staring off into space. The garlic flowers above her and around her neck were gone. "Lucy, can you hear me?" The girl didn't respond, even with a look.

Scarf thought back to what he had been told that evening. _Do dispose of them before the smell gets into everything._ "Oh, Captain..." Getting up, he climbed to the deck and marched up to the cabin door. "Captain!" he called, knocking quickly and loudly. "Captain, did you get rid of that garlic? I put it there to protect her!" When he heard no answer, he opened the door. "Captain, are you listening to...Captain?"

The captain was gone. Polly was standing on his desk, turning over his papers as though looking for a note. Scarf picked her up, and she squawked in protest while trying to squirm from his grip and continue the search.

The others followed him up and stood in the doorway, looking at the room for a trace of their leader. "W-Where's he gone to?" Gout wondered aloud.

"...I think I know where," Scarf said at last. "Not that you're going to be pleased with it." He set Polly down and led them all back into the hold. "Jenny, I want you to stay here. Keep Lucy calm if she comes to. You know how to use a sword, right?"

"More or less..."

"If something comes, keep it at bay. We'll try to be back within the hour." He then passed out weapons to the others. "Everyone else comes with me."

They nodded, except for Charles. "Why do need weapons if we're going into town?" he asked.

"There's a chance we'll need them where we're going."

Realization flickered across Charles's face. "Oh." He picked up a sword and followed the first mate as he led them down the gangplank and into the night.

* * *

No sign of life was to be seen in 1140 Royal Street. All the curtains were drawn, and not a single light shown through them. The pirates tried the windows on the first floor, but they were all locked.

"You think there's a back door?" Scarf asked. "Maybe they leave the cellar unlocked — "**  
**

A shrill whistle coming from the front steps got their attention. Mr. Bobo was hanging from one of the doorknobs. He turned it with one paw, pushed on the door with the other, and it swung open.

"...Or they did that," the first mate finished.

Drawing their swords, the pirates crept inside and stood in the foyer, scanning the darkness for anything that might appear. However, the only movement came from the light of a flickering candle that shone from beneath the ballroom doors. These were unlocked as well, and the pirates pushed them open just wide enough to peek through.

At the other end of the room, next to the fireplace, stood a figure cloaked in shadow. They had set the candle on the floor and was running their hands along the tiles. As they pressed down on one, the fireplace shuddered and rotated to expose a narrow tunnel sloping downwards. Picking up their candle, the stranger walked down the corridor. The sputtering light grew dimmer and abruptly went out.

The pirates pushed the doors open and rushed across the room as they heard the tile click back into place. "Hurry!" Scarf said. They slipped through the opening as it clamped shut behind them.

_"Now_ we can hope they leave the cellar unlocked," said Emma.

They felt their way along the tunnel, which opened into a brick basement with a low ceiling. As their eyes adjusted, they noticed tall shelves full of wine bottles and stacks of rectangular boxes placed all around the room. At the other end, the double doors leading outside were propped slightly open with a rock.

"Captain?" Scarf whispered. "Are you in here?"

"Help!" Albino Pirate shouted abruptly. "Something's got my shoulder!" He jumped, collided with a shelf and knocked a bottle onto the floor where it shattered.

"It was just me, lad," said Pirate With Gout. "No more o' that..." He stopped and sniffed the air. "...Did you cut yerself?"

"I don't think so."

_"Someone's_ blood got out of 'em, then," the older pirate said. "Lots of it."

The contents of the broken bottle were beginning to spread across the floor. Kneeling down, they each dipped a finger in the liquid and smelled it. A most unusual wine...if red wine was made with salt and rust, which they doubted.

"...D-Does anyone else think those boxes look a little odd?" Charles squeaked once they had all regained some measure of control over themselves. "They _are_ boxes, right?"

"Of a sort," Scarf answered.

Coffins. Dozens upon dozens of coffins stacked atop one another. What on earth _for?_

Along a wall lay four of them in a line, painted gold and inlaid with jewels. Their lids sat ajar. Scarf walked towards the largest of them, sword in hand.

"Abandon ship!" Gout exclaimed as a shadow appeared outside. "Abandon ship...!"

They all ducked behind one of the stacks and crouched there, holding their breaths without realizing it. The door that had been propped up opened all the way, and Renfield climbed down into the cellar with his candle. He turned around, then paused and stiffened at the sight of the blood. "The intruders must come out," he said, twisting his neck around. "The intruders will live longer if the intruders come out. The intruders cannot hide from Renfield."

Not even Albino Pirate moved a muscle.

"...Perhaps the intruders are not here?" Renfield said to himself. "Perhaps the intruders are hiding elsewhere in the master's house." He seemed frightened at the thought. "Renfield must cleanse the master's house of intruders before the master returns!" Taking a match from his coat, he struck it against the wall and lit the candle once more before going back up the tunnel.

The pirates stumbled out of hiding as soon as the light vanished and scrambled up the ladder just as quickly. They trembled, gasped for air and thanked every deity that came to mind as they ran back into the street and started for the harbor.

"Can we never do that again?"

"The fellow's mad! They all are!"

"Right, so nothing new, then."

"What was he doing out here?" Scarf wondered.

"I think he said something about Dracula being gone," Charles answered.

But where would the count be at this time of night...?

"...Oh no."

* * *

The clock on the hold shelf read half past two, and looking at it made Jenny's eyelids feel even heavier. Polly nuzzled her leg, cooing softly. Picking the bird up, Jenny stroked her feathers. She leaned her head back and was on the verge of dozing off when it happened.

_Eeee, eeee, eeee._ Someone was on the deck, walking towards the hatch. "Captain?" Jenny called out. At the sound of her voice, they stopped. She waited a minute, but they didn't continue. _So now I'm hearing things. Wonderful._

Lucy stiffened and slowly sat up. "No..."

Jenny was instantly at her side, patting her hand. "It's alright, Lucy. There's nothing to be frightened of. _You_ gave us all quite a scare, though — _ow!"_

Lucy had latched onto her wrist with an iron grip. "He's coming, Jenny."

"Who is...?"

That was when the boards of the deck bulged, cracked and caved in.

Jenny remembered everything after that all too well. Through the clouds of dust, she saw a wolf-like being standing on its hind legs staring at them with glowing red eyes. Lucy screamed as it lunged towards her. Jenny tried dragging her out of its path, only to be knocked aside by a shaggy paw. A sharp pain ran through her head as she hit the ground, and her vision spun. As it faded away, she saw the creature approach Lucy, pin her down and bend over her...

* * *

"Jenny! Miss Jenny, wake up!"

As Jenny gradually came to, she realized that Albino Pirate was shaking her. "Lucy...where's Lucy?" Getting back on her feet, she stumbled towards the hammock. Lucy still lay there, her neck and chest covered in blood. "What do you mean, you can't tell where it came from?" Scarf asked Charles as they looked over the mess.

"She doesn't have any new injuries," he answered, "and it didn't come from her neck." He turned her head and undid what remained of the bandage — the two holes had vanished. "Her heartbeat's far too slow, and she's barely got a pulse," he continued.

_"Lucy!"_ Jenny pushed them both aside and knelt beside the hammock. "Lucy, can you hear me...?"

The girl's eyes opened slightly. "...Jennifer."

Jenny took her hand. "Yes?" she asked hopefully.

"Jennifer...I'm...I'm frightened..."

Her hand went limp, her eyes stared out at nothing and her heart stopped.

* * *

**And on that note, happy belated Talk Like A Pirate Day! :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

* * *

_It shouldn't be sunny,_ Jenny thought as she glared up at the cloudless sky. _It looks cheerful._

Lucy would have loved it.

She watched as the coffin was slid into its vault and sealed inside. The other mourners gradually dispersed, most of them leaving the cemetery. There were still a few watching, but she couldn't bring herself to care; kneeling in front of the vault, she bowed her head and let her tears run silently down her face. _I'm sorry..._

"The master sends his condolences." Renfield offered a hand to help her up.

She brushed it aside. "Does he now?" she said as she stood, glaring at him.

"The master regrets that he could not be present at the burial. The sunlight does not agree with the master's skin."

"He wasn't at the cathedral, either."

Renfield cast his eyes downward. "The master shall answer all of your questions."

"What do you mean?"

He gestured to the gate. "Renfield has been sent by the master to bring Miss Jennifer to the master's house." Outside the cemetery walls, Dracula's black carriage was waiting.

"...I-I promised my friends I'd be back at the ship by three. We're going out to look for the captain again — "**  
**

"The master shall not keep you long."

"Can we at least stop by the place to let them know?"

She gasped as Renfield's ice-cold hand gripped her wrist. "The master," he hissed, "is not a patient man."

* * *

Jenny felt every bump and crack in the street as the carriage rolled along, its doors locked and its curtains shut. By the time it shuddered to a stop in front of the mansion, her head was spinning. Renfield opened the door, took her out and ushered her inside and up the staircase. Turning left, they came to a door of black oak topped with a wooden owl who glared down at her. Renfield pulled it open, shoved her through and closed it behind her.

"Sit down."

Jenny blinked, letting her eyes adjust to the lack of light. "I...I'd rather not, if that's acceptable."

"If you wish."

She looked around. Bookshelves packed with tomes lined each wall, not a single one poking out from the neat bands. In the wall across from the door was a window with its curtains closed. A fireplace filled with only ashes jutted out from the wall at the far end of the room. Next to it sat a high-backed red velvet chair, and in that lounged Dracula. His skin seemed paler than usual, and dark circles sagged from beneath his eyes. "I take it you are not fond of libraries?" he asked.

"They're fine," she answered as she approached a shelf, aware of his gaze on her. She pulled out a book and flipped through it; the pages had never been cut.

"Books no longer capture my interest," Dracula said, seeing her surprise. "They were meant for Lucy. Perhaps you'd like them."

Jenny snapped the book shut and put it back. "Renfield said you wanted to see me. That you'd answer my questions."

"You haven't asked any yet."

She took a deep breath and turned to face him. "Why weren't you at the funeral?"

"You have been informed of my condition, have you not? The sunlight is unkind to my skin."

"...You never came to see the body. Three days and you never came to see the body."

"An urgent matter came to my attention," he said, taking a book from the shelf and absentmindedly flipping through it. "I was too late to postpone the service."

"Did you even care for her at all?"

Sighing, Dracula stood up and began to walk towards her. "I felt as though a hole had been carved into my heart when the news first reached me. Do you know what I wish for more than anything else, my dear?"

Jenny backed away, only to collide with the wall. "I-I don't know why I should," she said, nervously pulling at the silver pendant around her neck.

Dracula chuckled. "Such an intelligent girl." Coming within a few inches of Jenny, he placed a hand on either side of her, boxing her against the wall. "Truth be told, I find you far more intriguing than I ever did your friend." He leaned down and sniffed her neck. "We are well suited for one another, I think..."

_"Get away from me!"_ Slapping him across the face, Jenny pushed him off her and ran to the door. She tried to pull it open, but it was locked from the other side.

A book struck her in the back of the head and knocked her down. "Hold still, human," Dracula hissed. He loomed over her, his blue eyes fading to a blood red. A long, bony hand tipped with claw-like fingernails grasped her by the neck. When he touched the necklace, though, he jerked away with an inhuman screech. The place on his hand that had touched the silver was burning and scarred.

_Silver. Of course!_ Scrambling to her feet, Jenny ripped off the necklace and hurled it into Dracula's face. He sank to his knees, screaming and covering his eyes.

The door opened. "Master!" Renfield said as he rushed inside brandishing a knife. "Renfield shall protect the master — "**  
**

Picking the book off the floor, Jenny brought it down on his head and watched him collapse. She took the knife and fled as Dracula's voice echoed through the halls after her. "I shall have your blood, human! Your blood and your mind!"

Jenny was barely aware that she was running. All she acknowledged was the path down the stairs, to the front door, out onto the street. Not until the house was well out of sight did she look back. When she did, her foot caught on a cobblestone and sent her sprawling.

"There she is...!"

She flinched and held the knife tighter as a hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her up. "What on earth happened?" she heard the Pirate With A Scarf ask. "Where have you been?"

Jenny crumpled against him, too stunned to even cry.

* * *

The Pirate With Gout laughed when he heard what Jenny did to Dracula and Renfield. "Well done, lass! Showed 'em what they're up against, yeh did."

Jenny wouldn't look anywhere except at her hands.

"A little time to herself would be best, I think," Charles suggested. He ushered the others out of the hold before turning back to Jenny. "It really is a miracle that you're still with us."

"He killed Lucy," Jenny said, still not looking up. "I'm sure of it."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

She hesitated before speaking again. "Maybe we should leave the ship for a while, or guard it or something. He'll be coming for us."

"I'll tell Scarf," he answered. "We'll check on you in a bit, alright? Just try to calm down." When she nodded, he followed the others outside.

Jenny sighed and flopped back in her hammock, attempting to quell her swirling thoughts. One of them surfaced again and again; _I shall have your blood, human. Your blood and your mind._ She understood the first half well enough, but what could the second mean?


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

* * *

_CHILDREN ATTACKED: CULPRIT UNKNOWN_

_For three consecutive days, incidents of children being stalked and going missing in the night have been reported. Out of the seven cases confirmed, all of those abducted were found alive and mostly unharmed the morning after their disappearance. Each child identified the person responsible as a young red-haired lady dressed in white who led them to Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1. After this, they remembered nothing else._

Emma slapped the newspaper down over the map on the captain's and looked at Charles and Scarf. "Well?"

"Well what?" Charles asked.

"Read it!"

They scanned the front page. "Rather strange, but — "**  
**

"Not that, the bit afterwards!" she said, pointing to the next paragraph.

_When found, the children exhibited disorientation as though from blood loss. On their necks were two small holes resembling bite marks. The creature which administered them is yet to be determined._

The three of them were silent for quite a while before looking at one another. "One of his sisters, y'think?" Emma offered half-heartedly.

"That," Scarf said, "would require us being lucky."

* * *

"But we've already looked for the captain in the graveyard," Albino Pirate said once they were gathered around the table that evening.

"We aren't going to look for the captain tonight," Scarf told him. "You'll all have to stay here."

"Why?" Jenny asked.

Scarf unrolled the newspaper and slid it down the table. "We need to take care of Lucy."

They all stared at him. "...We need to _what?" _Jenny finally exclaimed.

"Red hair, white dress, takes them back to the cemetery, leaves the same marks, who _else_ could it be?"

Jenny shook her head. "But I watched them bury her. She's _dead."_

"She's _un_dead. One of them now." Taking the black book from his coat, he began flipping through the pages. "Someone needs to stop her before she gets stronger."

"And how is _that_ supposed to work?" she demanded.

"I'm going to drive a stake through her heart while she's asleep. She'll be able to die properly."

"What's this 'you' cobblers?" the Pirate With Gout said. "We're coming whether yet want us or not. Isn't that right?"

_"Aye!"_

"I can't afford to lose anyone else," Scarf told them.

"And we can't afford to lose you," said Charles. "Ask yourself this: if you end up going missing, do you really want me in charge?"

"...Go get some silver."

Charles smiled. "I didn't think so."

* * *

The cemetery gates were locked, but the walls were just short enough for them to scale. Inside, the stone pathway wound between the monolithic crypts like the streets of a miniature city. "Which one is hers?" Scarf asked Jenny.

She kept her eyes cast downward. "The northeast end. It's black marble." They were the first words she had spoken since the group had left the boat.

Leaves cracked beneath their feet as they walked, each one magnified by the silence. Scarf lit a lantern as clouds swept over the moon. A shadow seemed to flinch and shy away at its yellow light.

"That one," Jenny said, pointing. Up ahead, a tall black stone clashed with its lighter neighbors.

Setting down the lantern, Scarf took out his knife and began to chip at the edges of the tomb door. The plaster gradually cracked and disintegrated until they could move the panel aside and pull out the wooden coffin.

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" Jenny finally snapped. "How could she possibly get out of that? We should go before — "

"I wonder why they didn't make sure it was locked," Albino Pirate said when he saw the coffin. The clasps were undone.

With trembling fingers, the pirates lifted the lid and forced themselves to look inside. There was no body, only the padding where it had lain.

_"What are you doing here?"_

The voice didn't really send shivers down their spines so much as it completely froze them. When they turned around, they saw a feminine silhouette which glared at them with yellow eyes. An unconscious young boy was clutched in her arms. **_"What are you doing here?"_** she repeated in little more than a hiss.

"Lucy...?"

At the sound of Jenny's voice, the creature paused before abruptly dropping the child. "Jennifer," it crooned as it put on a smile. "Of course it's me, Jennifer. Is there something wrong? I do feel rather strange." It put its arms out. "Oh, I'm quite frightened, Jennifer. Can't you help me?"

Jenny couldn't help herself; she reached out to the image of her friend and took a step forward. _"Yes,"_ said the not-Lucy. _"A little closer..."_

"Get back!" Emma shouted, pulling Jenny to her side while waving the lantern at the not-Lucy. _"Back!"_

The not-Lucy shrieked with rage and jumped back as the light touched it. Its eyes turned red, and it bared its fangs, hissing. The pirates watched as its body dissolved into black mist that seemed to dissipate with a gust of wind.

"Keep your guard up!" Scarf told the others, taking out the sharpened stick he had brought. "She's probably still around — "

"AAAHHH! Help! _HELP!"_ Albino Pirate screamed. He had dropped to the ground, and something was dragging him backwards by his leg.

The Pirate With Gout struck at the air with his crutch and got another pained yelp in response. The not-Lucy materialized again, snarling. It crouched and lunged, only to be stunned and stumble back when Scarf waved the lantern in its face again. After a moment, though, it growled and swatted at the light. The lantern went flying out of Scarf's hand, landed on the ground and went out.

Scarf gasped as he felt the creature's spindly fingers clamp around his throat. He frantically rummaged through his pocket for the silver coins he had brought, pulled them out and flung them into its face. It fell and writhed, clawing at the burn marks. Raising the stick, Scarf jammed it into her heart. It screamed yet again and began to sit up, trying to grasp at him. Scarf pushed harder, but the not-Lucy pushed back. The stick was beginning to bend and fracture.

"Oh no you don't." Running forward, Jenny pushed down on the stick. The not-Lucy's scream increased in pitch as it was forced back to the ground. Dark red blood seeped from its chest wound as it struggled less and less. Eventually it hissed one last time and finally lay still.

Jenny dropped to her knees, staring at the destruction as tears welled up in her eyes. "...Is she dead?" she finally managed to ask.

Scarf placed a hand on her shoulder. "She's at peace."

Her eyes had faded back to green, her fangs had vanished and her face had untwisted itself into something resembling sleep. The not-Lucy was Lucy once more.

They placed her back in the coffin and sealed her inside the tomb. They would have stayed longer to clean up the blood and help the boy, but they heard voices in the distance and had to leave "...Thank you," Scarf said to Jenny as they walked back.

"...You're welcome."

"What's that?" Charles asked as they entered the harbor. A single light was flickering in the captain's cabin.

"Maybe it's Dracula," the Pirate With Gout said, his eyes narrowing. "We'll show 'im what fer, we will!" Brandishing his cutlass he hobbled up the gangplank.

The others chased after him. "Gout, no...!" They were trying to hold him back when the cabin door swung open. "I say, what's all this?"

_"Captain?"_

* * *

**Well, that turned out a tad darker than I planned. Sorry.**


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

* * *

_"Captain?"_

He stared at them as though they were the ones who had vanished without a trace. "What are you doing? Where have you been?"

"Where have _you_ been?" Scarf said, wavering between relieved and furious. "Sir, we've looked all over the city for you."

"I thought I told you I'd be right back. You saw the note, didn't you?"

"Sir, that was _days_ ago."

The captain started and staggered a bit, not unlike the way he did when drunk. "Has it? Oh, dear, that can't be right...not what he said..."

"Captain?" Scarf asked as he helped him regain his balance. "Are you feeling alright?"

"What's that supposed to mean...?" His eyes were bloodshot and beginning to glaze over.

"You don't seem like yourself."

"Nonsense!" the captain snapped, pushing Scarf away. "I feel more like myself than I have in years! My apologies for the mix-up," he added, turning to the others. "Excitement of it all was too much, I suppose."

"The excitement of what, might we ask?" said Charles.

The captain looked at the boards of the deck for a moment before straightening himself up. "I've got an announcement for you," he said at last. "I've done quite a bit of thinking, and...well...I'm giving it up."

Scarf briefly relaxed. "The bet?"

"Piracy."

Their jaws all dropped. _"What?"_

"You heard me."

"But why?" Scarf asked, grabbing his shoulder.

The captain shook him off as though he were nothing more than a weevil. "Why not? There's no point to it. I can be of better use elsewhere."

"Since _when?"_

Charles stepped between them. "What do you mean by elsewhere, Captain?" he asked, trying to sound calm.

"I've been having the most marvelous discussion with the count. He says he wants me to sail him around the world once he's finished his business here! Won't it be glorious?"

"...You're joking, yes? Please be joking."

"I most certainly am not! If you don't like the sound of it, you can leave. We won't need you anyway."

Scarf grabbed his arm again. "Captain, there's something we need to tell you — "**  
**

_"Silence!"_ he hissed. "The captain will do as the master wishes, and the humans cannot stop him."

The blood drained from Scarf's face as his arm went limp and slipped back to his side. "Captain...?"

Charles gently pulled him away. "We ought to be on our way."

They silently filed down the gangplank and back into the city, and the captain's unblinking eyes watched them until they were gone.

* * *

_Beware of the blood of the Vampire, for if a Human consumes the blood, he shall become Slave to the Vampire. His eyes shall be ever vigilant, the word of the Vampire is his law, and he shall relinquish his sense of Self to follow his Master._

"That's it!" Emma said as she slapped the page of the vampire book with the back of her hand, ignoring the strange looks of the other tavern patrons. "That's what he's done to the captain! Scarf, have you read this bit?"

Scarf was looking down at the table, his hands on his forehead. "I should have known...I should have known when we found that flask..."

Emma continued to flip through the pages. "There's got to be some way to snap him out of it...here we are! _'The Human shall be released from this captivity of the mind when the Vampire is slain.'_ Let's go get 'im!"

"It won't be like Lucy," Scarf said, finally looking up. "He's too clever for that." Taking the book back, he bent over it while his friends gathered around him. "We need something else..."

_The pleasing form of the Vampire is but an illusion sustained by the Blood of Humans. When deprived of it, they shall revert to their True Demonic Form. It is said that those who look upon this Form shall perish from even a single glance._

"Oh, that's _very_ encouraging."

"Maybe they've kept it up so long that they aren't used to it, and they'd die if they looked at each other!" Jenny offered. The confused stares of everyone around her caused her to shrink back. "Or maybe not..."

_The Vampire may only rest in their Grave or in a Coffin filled with the Dirt of their Native Land._

"We could sneak back into their basement and smash the coffins," Charles said.

"What, all of them?" said Scarf.

"Perhaps they aren't keeping dirt in the other ones."

"Then what do they have 'em fer?" said Gout.

_The Vampire lives by drinking the Blood of a Human until none is left within them. If the Human is left in this state, they die. If they are fed the Blood of a Vampire, they will join the ranks of the Vampires and drink the Blood of others._

"...Is that what's going to happen to the captain?" Albino Pirate asked after a long silence.

"No," said Scarf, putting a hand around his shoulder. "We'll see to that."

"Still doesn't explain what the rest o' the coffins are fer, though," said Gout.

Charles was blanching. "Does that answer your question?" he said, pointing to a post at the other end of the tavern.

A man was nailing up a large sheet of paper for all to see.** PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS,** it said across the top. **The illustrious Count Dracula cordially requests your presence at his mansion for a Gala this very evening. All are welcome to attend. He assures you that it shall be a most memorable** **evening.**

While the patrons crowded around the poster and whispered excitedly to one another, the pirates stared at it in slack-jawed horror. Now it made far more sense than they wanted to acknowledge.

"Well," said Scarf, "he said everyone. Guess that includes us."

"You want to go after him_ tonight?"_ said Jenny.

"It'll be our last chance." One new vampire had nearly killed them. They would have no chance against hundreds.

"But we don't even have a plan!"

"We'll have to fix that, then."

* * *

**Phew! Two more chapters to go. If I don't finish this by the end of the month, my apologies...**


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

* * *

The line outside 1140 Royal Street stretched around the block, but the pirates simply walked past it and crept to the back of the house. The night was warm and humid, and the kitchen window had been opened. A few minutes of pulling and shoving later, they were all inside. "Right, now what?" asked Gout while the others helped him back up.

Scarf was about to answer when a pair of footsteps cut him off. "Are the doors locked, Renfield?" said a female voice.

The pirates scrambled beneath a table as the kitchen door opened. They peered out from under the tablecloth as the feet of Renfield and one of the sisters stopped right in front of them. "Renfield has locked the doors, Mistress. The humans will not escape." He waved a skeleton key in front of her face.

"Good. You are to put out the lights when Brother gives the signal." She tucked back a loose strand of hair, then shrieked as it came off in her hand. "A shame to be so old. Renfield, get me a glass of blood at once!" She stormed out while Renfield mechanically placed the key on the table and followed her.

The pirates crawled out as soon as they were gone. Scarf immediately grabbed the key and unlocked the back door. "Take care of the front door once it's clear and prop it open," he said, handing the key to Jenny and gesturing outside. "I want half of you here and half of you there. Go when I tell you." Putting his ear to the kitchen door, he waited.

A few minutes passed, and the loud rumble of a crowd could soon be heard from the other room. "Now!" Scarf whispered. He watched as the others dispersed, then quietly turned the doorknob, opened the door and stepped through.

He was in a corner of the foyer, standing on what seemed to be the last free spot available. The room was packed with people, all chattering and pushing past one another in an effort to get in front of the still-closed ballroom doors. He slipped his way into the confusion, keeping his head down and occasionally flicking his eyes up. No sign of Renfield...or the face he was both hoping and fearing to see, for that matter...

Everyone fell silent as the double doors creaked open. "The master shall see you now."

Hundreds of joyful shrieks shattered the silence as the guests stampeded into the ballroom. Scarf was among the last to enter, and the doors slammed shut behind him. He made his way to the nearest corner and plastered himself against the wall, trying to calm his racing heart. _Come now, you're all they've got left. You're all **he's** got left._

From where he was, he could see everything; the dance floor, the food tables, the fireplace. Next to it, Dracula was sitting in a throne-like chair of mahogany and velvet. He rested his head in his hand, dark circles had formed under his eyes and his ears were looking slightly more pointed than usual. He watched the revelers for a few minutes, then sighed and shifted his head to his other hand. At the motion, his sisters came to join him while Renfield slipped away through a side door.

Scarf inched towards the doors, keeping a hand on the lumps of silver in his pocket. _Here we go..._

The music died, and the happy chatter of the guests turned to whispers of confusion as the lights of the wall lamps began to flicker and fade. Then the chandelier flashed, raining sparks down on them, and plunged the room into darkness.

"What happened?"

"Does anyone have some candles?"

"Count, is that you?" a woman asked. "Do you know what **— **_AAAGGGHHH!"_

_"Over here!"_ Scarf shouted above the screams of terror that followed. "The front door's unlocked and the kitchen's on the left! You can get out through there!" He jumped aside as the crowd came barreling towards him. The strength of the doors was no match for their weight, and the wood gave way with a splintery crash. They streamed through the open doors, out into the night and down the street in all directions. The pirates pushed past them, running to meet Scarf at the bottom of the stairs. "Is that everyone? Did you see the captain? Where's Dracula?"

An inhuman roar of rage echoed through the halls and shook the timbers of the house. **_"YOU!"_**

"I think we have more pressing matters at hand..."

They raced up the stairs as the vampires came after them, fangs bared and eyes glowing red.

* * *

"Renfield knows that the creatures of the fur and feathers are here. Renfield can _smell_ them!"

This was not true, but he could hear the dodo's claws clacking against the wood floors as it skittered down the hall. He rounded a corner just in time to see it dart into one of the mistresses' rooms, and when he followed it inside, he saw the wardrobe door hanging ajar. Laughing, he flung it open. "The feather creature shall make a lovely meal for the master...!"

There was no bird, only a single notecard. ** PSYCH.**

He shrieked as a pair of hands shoved him into the wardrobe and slammed the doors. "Nobody eats Polly!" Albino Pirate shouted at him while Mr. Bobo locked the door and tossed the key out the nearest window. "That was rather fun, actually. Do you think the others are faring this well?"

* * *

Charles had done a fair bit of hunting back in his Cambridge days. If he lived through tonight, he was never even _thinking_ about it again.

How had he gotten back into the cellar, anyway? He remembered Scarf giving him the bag of silver and telling him to hide someplace the vampires wouldn't think to look before going off to who knew where. Then he heard the the sisters' screaming and ran off in the opposite direction, hoping that he wouldn't trip on anything, and some part of him apparently thought it a good idea to hide where they stored the blood and coffins that they would surely be focused on defending...

No matter how he'd gotten here. What mattered was getting out. He crept to the double doors and was about to ascend the ladder when one of the bottles fell off a shelf and shattered. He spun around at the noise. "I'm warning you..."

An invisible force clamped around his throat and arms and threw him against the door with a force beyond that which any human possessed. They materialized in front of him; bald, red-eyed, faces sagging, fingers long and claw-like. They scratched at his skin feverishly, determined to dispense with the pleasantries and simply rip him apart. Narrow streams of blood were beginning to flow out from his neck and face when the doors above them were abruptly flung open. _"Hurry!"_ Emma was shouting.

The vampires screamed in agony as the pirates dumped piles upon piles of silver on them. Charles darted aside as they burned, blistered and burst into flames. Two of them quickly turned to ash. The third used the last of her strength to reach up, grab Emma by the ankle and pull her into the cellar.

"Get away from her!" Running forward, Charles pulled the creature off her and tossed it aside. It flailed a bit before disintegrating.

"Thank you," he said as he helped her up. "Are you alright?"

"Need to work on my aim..."

"Yeh can chitchat all yeh want later!" the Pirate With Gout snapped at them from above. "We've got to find Scarf!"

"He isn't with you?" Charles asked.

Gout shook his head gravely. "Last I saw of him, he was goin' up to the attic."

* * *

**Since I don't want to shortchange the next scene, I decided to push it to the next chapter. See you whenever I get that done. Hopefully sometime before the end of the month.**

**Toodle-pip! :)**

**~ A. Kingsleigh**


	13. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

* * *

Scarf opened the door slowly, his cutlass pointed out in front of him. "Show yourself."

There was, at first glance, nothing to be shown. The attic was small and empty. Shingles could be seen through the rafters, the bricks of the wall were beginning to crack and dislodge and the floorboards were warped. Across from the door was a window covered by a curtain, and shreds of light slipped in through the cracks.

"I know you're in here," Scarf said. "I saw you running up the stairs."

The door slammed shut behind him and locked. "Oh, aren't you _clever."_ The once-charming voice had morphed into an ominous hiss. Scarf whirled around as the figure he sought stepped out of hiding, but his grip and his balance wavered when he saw the creature standing before him.

Dracula hadn't just gotten taller, he now looked down at Scarf and his head nearly brushed the ceiling. His arms were clasped rigidly to his side; in the dark, he looked almost like a monolith. He seemed to glide slowly and effortlessly along the floor. His bloody, unblinking eyes with slitted pupils never strayed from his target. All his hair had fallen out, and his ears were pointed once more. His hands had turned to rat-like claws with long, yellow fingernails. He was smiling — at least, Scarf assume that was what it was — and his front teeth were now pointed incisors. All around him was the smell of rotting flesh. "Such delusions of bravery," he rasped. "Your blood shall feed me well."

"You won't be feeding on anyone!" Scarf shouted at him, gripping the handle of the cutlass while taking a few steps backwards. "My friends are downstairs taking care of Renfield and your sisters. When they're done, they'll be coming."

The vampire seemed to find this amusing, for his smile grew wider.

"And none of us are frightened of you," Scarf added. "Me least of all." It was the only sentence he could think of to say.

Dracula raised an arm and extended a gnarled finger behind Scarf. "Does this frighten you, human?"

Stepping to the side in order to keep an eye on Dracula, Scarf glanced to where he pointed. When he saw this new sight, though, he froze. The cutlass slipped out of his hand and fell to the floor. "Captain..."

The captain did not answer him, or even look at him. He walked forward like an automaton, his eyes still glazed over and his breathing barely discernible. His cutlass danged in his hand. He stopped and stood still, as though waiting for his master's next command.

Dracula casually gestured to Scarf. "Kill him."

All at once, the captain was ablaze with determination. Scarf barely avoided his blade as it swished through and struck the floor so hard that it stuck in the wood. The captain simply pulled it back out and attacked again. Scarf grabbed his cutlass and brought it up to meet the captain's, but the clash was so hard that it shattered. He dropped its remains and rushed to the other side of the room. "Captain, _stop!"_

The man hesitated, but a wave of Dracula's hand sent him off again. Scarf ducked, leaving him hacking at the air. "It's me, sir!" the first mate shouted. "It's Number Two! Don't you know me, sir?"

"Cut out his tongue," said Dracula.

The next swipe nearly took Scarf's hand off. "You've got to come out of it, captain! Think about the crew! Think about Polly!" Another slash. "Do you remember our adventures? Of course you do. You must." He jumped again as the sword tried to cut his feet. "You've done things far more foolish than this, sir. I didn't leave you then, and I'm not leaving now." By this point, the captain was blocking the door. The only ways out were either success or death. "Captain...I know you're still in there. And I'd like a word with you."

Dracula waved his hand upwards and brought it down again. The captain raised his cutlass, but he didn't strike. Something was holding his arm up. His other hand quivered and tried to point towards the door. _Get out of here,_ it seemed to be saying. _Save yourself._

"No," said Scarf. "Not without you."

The raised arm trembled, then stiffened and flew down —

_CRASH!_ "We're here!"

Scarf and Dracula jumped as the rest of the pirates came barreling into the attic, not even bothering to open the door. It blasted off its hinges, struck the captain in the back of the head and sent him sprawling to the floor unconscious. "Did we get 'im?" Gout asked eagerly.

Jenny lifted the door, and Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens scooped the body up. "Not quite..."

Looking at the window, Scarf saw that the light from outside had deepened from pale to gold. Before Dracula could grab him, he ran across the room and tore down the curtains. _"Now_ we have!"

His friends flinched and covered their eyes as the beams of sunrise streamed into the attic. Dracula screamed as sank to his knees as the light hit him. He flailed about as the skin of his face began to crack, collapsed, lay still...then groaned and pushed himself back upon his feet. "You amusing little fools. When did I ever say the sun would actually _harm_ me?"

The pirates stared at him in open-mouthed terror. After a moment, Charles cleared his throat. "A fine question. Give us a moment to think that over while we..._RUN!"_

And with that, they all took off down the stairs screaming at the top of their lungs.

* * *

The crowd that had gathered outside the mansion tried to stop them as they ran into the street, but they pushed through the mass of people and fled. The buildings flowed past in a colorful blur; the only thing in focus was the mast of their ship in the distance. Whenever they looked back, Dracula seemed to be forever behind them; his pace always slow, his eyes always burning.

"Get to the boat!" Scarf told them. "We'll fend him off there!"

They skidded around a corner, and the harbor came into view. Before them floated the Pirate Ship, its gangplank still lowered. They raced onto the deck, threw the unconscious captain into his cabin and started for the hold. Scarf stayed behind, looking over the side at the docks. "Find a spare board and sharpen it!" he called down to them, failing to notice that the shark tank was shattered and empty. "Get some more of the silver if you — AAAHHH!" His words caught in his throat as Dracula abruptly rose up, grabbed him by his scarf and dragged him over the side.

He grabbed the edge of an open porthole and tried to crawl through as the others came to his aid. "Help..._help...!"_

"No! The human shall die!" Dracula shrieked, clamping onto his leg with an iron grip. A gray fin rose up from the water and began to move rapidly towards him. "All the humans of the world shall — "

His head whipped around, and he screamed as the shark leapt towards him with its jaws bared. It grasped him in his jaws, tearing him off of Scarf, and dragged him down into the dark green waters.

As Scarf watched them disappear, his strength seemed to go with them. _It's over. It's over._ His grip on the porthole loosened, and he would have fallen if the others hadn't taken his arms and pulled him inside. He slumped onto his side and lay on the floor, breathing heavily as their muffled questions bounced off his ears. "The captain," he said. "We need to check the captain..."

They all fell silent as they heard hesitant footsteps above them, right where the cabin was. "Number Two? Chuck? Anyone...?"

Picking himself up, Scarf led them up on deck, to the cabin and opened the door. "We're right here."

The captain was standing at his desk, staring down at nothing in particular. His eyes were no longer glazed. He looked up, blinked several times, then staggered forward and threw his arms around Scarf.

Scarf simply returned the hug and smiled. "Welcome back, sir."

* * *

**One! More! Chapter!**


	14. Epilogue

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

* * *

**TERROR AND TRAGEDY**

_A power outage led to a shocking chain of events at the house of the late Count Dracula on Saturday evening. The initial atmosphere of tension was amplified when screams were heard from guests who later reported that the count and his sisters had attacked them. Further violence was averted when a guest succeeded in opening the locked ballroom doors and allowed the others to escape. He and his companions were later seen fleeing the house. Their identities and location are unknown._

_All four members of the Dracula family are missing and presumed dead. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the count devoured by a shark in the harbor, but there is no concrete evidence to support this hypothesis. The bodies of the sisters have not been found. Mr. Renfield, the butler, was discovered locked in a closet. He has been questioned but appears to have no memory of the family or his time with them. His quick release from custody is expected._

_We know not the whereabouts of Count Dracula's remains, nor what brought on his sudden bout of madness in his final moments, but this shall not prevent us from mourning the dead._

* * *

A week after the paper was printed, the Pirate Ship sailed into the harbor of Blood Island. Her crew disembarked and immediately headed for the Barnacle's Face. The patrons sitting at the bar flinched as the Pirate Captain entered, but he walked right past them and settled down at a corner table with his lads and lasses. The other pirates' heads gradually all turned to watch. There was something different about the captain; no boasting, no grog-induced claptrap, just sitting quietly and talking with his friends. Jenny seemed more relaxed as well, laughing and even having a small drink. Several onlookers expressed interest in the bandages on Mr. Darwin and were quite disappointed when he hold them that he wasn't expected to have any scars when they came off.

After a nudge from Cutlass Liz, Black Bellamy approached the table. "So, Cap, any more world-saving?" he asked, earning snickers from the others.

"No, I'm afraid not. But _they_ have," the captain added, gesturing to his crew. "Long story, though. Besides, I know what you're really here for." As he spoke, he took the newspaper from his coat and tossed it to Bellamy. "Well?"

Bellamy stared at the front page as though it was written in a foreign language. "Well what?"

_"We won the bet!_ Shark beats Dracula! Number Two saw it with his own eyes. You're not going to call _him_ untrustworthy, are you?"

"Wait. You actually took that thing seriously?"

The captain paused. "What do you mean?"

"Dude, it was a joke! I didn't think you'd remember any of it."

"B-But it was your idea, wasn't it? You swore to it!"

"It wasn't, and I didn't."

"You asked what you'd get if you won! That makes it implicit!"

Scarf stepped between them. "Alright, alright. How about we call it a draw? No one gives up anything and we move on."

"Fine with me," Bellamy answered. "Captain?"

"...Oh, why not?"

"Good." Putting the paper back on the table, Bellamy turned on his heel and left.

"And that," the captain said to Scarf, " is why there would only ever be one Number Two of the Year Award."

Scarf smiled. "Thank you, sir."

They all flinched as a fist abruptly pounded on their table. "Do you know the_ truly_ important question?" slurred Peg-Leg Hastings. "Could a Frankenstein beat a jellyfish?"

"Well, the tendrils of the jellyfish are potentially fatal and...now wait a minute, I'm only **— **OW! I was just going to talk about it! Let go of my ears...!"**  
**

His crew merely walked a little faster dragged him out of the tavern, down the dock and back to the ship, ignoring his protests all the way.

* * *

**|~| The End |~|**

* * *

**-sits back and weakly punches air- I DID IT! I got it done in time!**

**So the good news is that I've already got an idea for the next story. The bad news is that you probably won't see it until sometime in December. I'm giving up fanfiction for a month as I make the leap into original material and participate in NaNoWriMo for the first time. But I've decided to write the novel in a public Google Drive document that you can all view if you wish. Just ask for the link and I'll provide it. **

**Until then, the Piratesverse must be stowed away in my box of ideas. It'll probably return as a Christmas present. In the meantime...go read The Hunger Games. ;)**

**Bye!**

**~ A. Kingsleigh**


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